hand cream needed..

[mum2sam]

My hands are ruined from working in a hospital a few years ago. I was constantly having to wash my hands, apply alcohol gel and wear gloves. Then coming home doing dishes, housework etc
The skin around my fingers is starting to crack and tbh the tips of my fingers are feeling tender and sore. Not sure whether to go docs for medicated cream if theres anything he can give me or whether someone can recommend one.Even typing is uncomfortable.

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try body shop hemp salve, w/a pair of their gloves at night.

mum2sam I use the Body Shop hemp hand protector after it was recommended on MN and it is brill. I also suffered from very dry and cracked hands and nothing worked except this Body Shop stuff. I just apply it once a day, maybe twice but no more and it's made a huge improvement.

Also, if you don't already, I would suggest using Marigold gloves for washing-up.

oh yes ive brought myself a pair of marigolds . Thanx guys i will def have to get that 2moro cant believe how sore my hands are

I use hemp as well on my feet and they have never been softer. You could put on loads of hand cream then bags adn wait for the hands to absorb the cream.

vaseline have brought out a water proof cream that works well for me, I work in hosp. sound like you might have a touch of contact dermatitus. the marigolds might actually aggrivate it (by the latex).
Avoid things like e45 and aquous cream, try epaderm or another simple emollient, if this fails you might need a wee drop steroid cream. you can get HC45 from the chemist. this is 0.5% hydrocortisoine

I found taking an omega 3-6-9 supplement really helped my hands (they used to crack all the time for no reason). Tesco's do a good value omega supplement.

B/Shop hemp cream is excellent, as is Dr. Hauschka's hand cream.

I found Neutrogina good when my hands were bad this winter. That or vaseline overnight with socks on my hands!

Try Lush helping hands, it works brilliantly ...

Crabtree and Evelyn's Gardener's Hand Cream is fabulous stuff. I gave some to my cleaner for Christmas and she says it's the best stuff she's ever used. (Not showing off about the cleaner, but she has her hands in and out of water all day and so really knows about hand creams!)

If the skin is cracking, you may have mild excema (this has happened to my mum recently). I would go to the doctor.

I work in hospital (and at home) so I know what you mean about what the alcohol gels do to your hands.

Bepanthen ointment available over the counter in most pharmacys is good if your hands are sore. It's a bit greasy though so best used at night. You would need to find something else for the day. Have you tried Eumobase also available over the counter?

Aveeno do a hand cream and i find it is the only thing that soothes my very chapped and cracked hands.

I have terrible dry cracked hands and find Body Shop Hemp cream fantastic, although even whilst using this if the cold gets to them they can still crack. A friend gave me some L'occitane stuff and it is lovely, smells so much nicer than BS Hemp, however it is not quite as effective. Thinking of going for a Hemp in the winter and L'occitane in the summer combo.

Good tip about the Omegas going to give that a try, it makes sense.

I love the L'Occitaine Hand cream.It has lots of shea butter in it. It's really rich and goes a long way - a tube lasts me at least 10 months with daily use and I put it on my feet too! I work in a SEN School so am also washing my hands alot and It really hydrates them after the nasty school soap
It is quite expensive. tThere are l'Occitaine shops around or you can get it in big department stores. I often get L'Occitaine stuff from QVC!

Nutrogena (as used by Norwegian fisherman according to the ad) is brill. I used it when nursing and all the hand-washing caused my hands to crack. Only need to use a tiny amount.

Lakeland Ltd do a fantastic product called Dermaguard - it really is wonderful! You only need to use a tiny bit, it's easily absorbed, not greasy and really works. I had really, really bad hands after both of my children and this stuff has really sorted them out.

\link{http://www.lakelandlimited.co.uk/product.aspx/!8944\Dermaguard}

atrixo or one of the neutrogena ones?
I am keen gardener and hy hands suffer with it but those creams are grand indeed

Hemp,rubber gloves, Hemp, Hemp, Hemp and more Hemp followed by Hemp at night with a pair of cotton gloves on!
I used to have cracked fingers until they bled with the cold/water until I met this stuff. I remember the Body shop from years ago (Strawberry bath bubbles/Dewberry and the like) and had long stopped using any of their ranges but I'm now an avid lover of Hempo and their body butter.
Hope that they get better

aveda does a brilliant one called hand relief - quite pricey but really thick and effective but not greasy. DH uses it when he's been doing lots of gardening.